This blog was created as a place to put pieces of my family histories as I find them. The goal is to make a story of each ancestor. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT DOCUMENTED NOR VERIFIED. IT IS JUST A PLACE TO PUT INFORMATION UNTIL IT HAS BEEN RESEARCHED FURTHER. PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE IT AS FACT.
If anyone reading this blog has any pictures, stories, etc., that they would be willing to share with other family members, I would be happy to add them.

[Ancestral Link: Lura Minnie Parker (Stagge), daughter of Minnie May Elmer (Parker), daughter of Mark Alfred Elmer, son of Hannah Polina Child (Elmer), daughter of Alfred Bosworth Child, son of Hannah Benedict (Child), daughter of John Benedict, son of Daniel Benedict, son of Dinah Bouton (Benedict), daughter of Mary Gregory (Bouton), daughter of Jachin Gregory, son of John Gregory, son of Henry Gregory.]

[Ancestral Link: Lura Minnie Parker (Stagge), daughter of Minnie May Elmer (Parker), daughter of Mark Alfred Elmer, son of Hannah Polina Child (Elmer), daughter of Alfred Bosworth Child, son of Hannah Benedict (Child), daughter of John Benedict, son of Daniel Benedict, son of John Benedict, son of John Benedict, son of Phebe Gregory (Benedict), daughter of John Henry, son of Henry Gregory.]

ALSO ON MILLER-AANDERSON.BLOGSPOT.COM

[Ancestral Link:Harold William Miller, son of Edward Emerson Miller, son of Anna Hull (Miller), daughter of William Hull, son of Anna Hyde (Hull), daughter of Uriah Hyde, son of Elizabeth Leffingwell (Hyde), daughter of John Leffingwell, son of Mary Bushnell (Leffingwell), daughter of Marie Marvin (Bushnell), daughter of Elizabeth Gregory (Marvin), daughter of Henry Gregory.]

[Ancestral Link: Harold William Miller, son of Edward Emerson Miller, son of Anna Hull (Miller), daughter of William Hull, son of Anna Hyde (Hull), daughter of Uriah Hyde, son of Ezra Hyde, son of Anne Bushnell (Hyde), daughter of Richard Bushnell, son of Marie Marvin (Bushnell), daughter of Elizabeth Gregory (Marvin), daughter of Henry Gregory.]

Old Congregational Burying Ground, Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut, Where Henry Gregory is buried.

HENRY GREGORY (GREGORIE) probably came to America with his wife, MARY (GOODY) GREGORY, and at least two adult sons from Nottingham and settled first in Boston as early as 1633. He was in Springfield by 1639 with his son, Judah. His wife, Mary, died about 1641/2, probably in Springfield. Henry took up land in Springfield January 16, 1638 where he built a "waddle and daub, thatched house."

He later removed to New Haven, Colony of New Haven, and later selling his land there to his son, Judah. Then he was in Stratford, where one of his daughters lived. He was a shoemaker and in 1647 a complaint was made to the General Court regarding the workmanship of 14 dozen pairs of shoes that he made. According to testimony, Mr. Meges had contracted with Henry to make these shoes for him (Meges) to sell, and the shoes were defective in that they fell apart in a week to 14 days. Goodman Gregory replied to the court that Meges had brought him defective leather to make the shoes out of and told him that he would bring him hemp to sew them with, but he never did, so Henry used flax instead. His sons, Judah and John, and daughter, wife of William Crooker, testified that their father was old and had poor eyesight. The court found both men at fault, more so Mr. Meges who was fined 10 pounds to the court and to make good on the shoes he sold, and Goodman Gregory was fined 5 pounds and the court charges for faulty workmanship.

In 1650 Henry is mentioned in the will of his brother, William Gregory, who was an Alderman and Mayor of Nottingham. William left Henry 20 marks if he should live for six months after his decease, and five pound to each of his children in New England.

Henry's will was probated and inventory taken on June 19, 1655 in Stratford where he owned property. His oldest son, John, received a double portion.

The pedigree of William Gregory appears in DEERING'S HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAM 1751, where he appears as "Henry 'de Boston in Nova Anglia". He was the son of JOHN and ALICE (ALTON) GREGORY and grandson of THOMAS and DOROTHY (BEESTON) GREGORY, daughter of SIR GEORGE and ALICE (DAVENPORT) BEESTON.

Henry GREGORY was born in 1586 in of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. (178) or born 1570. He was buried in June 1655 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut. He died on 14 June 1655 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut. He estate inventoried on 19 June 1655 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut. He was a shoemaker in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut. He resided Boston. According to Jacobus, Henry Gregory "A shoemaker, of Stratford, his workmanship was complained of 1647; he was spoken of as an old man, and his sons John and Judah and daughter the wife of William Crooker testified. Died in Stratford in 1655. Inv. 19 June 1655, taken by John Welles and Thomas Fairchild. Eldest son John, and other children (not named). The children's record is incomplete." (pg. 236, Vol. I, Hist. and Geneal. of Families of Old Fairfield-Jacobus.) He was married to *Mrs. Abigain GREGORY about 1603 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. or Great Bentley, Essex, England http://dav4is.8m.com/Families/GREGORY.htm#GREG73 children from legregory@mkl.com

She was born about 1588 or 1593 in of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. Henry Gregory's wife's name is unknown. The name "Goody" is a kind of generic name that the Puritans used at that time and, in the case of women was short for Goodwoman. The men were often referred to as Goodman as in Goodman Gregory,etc.

If anyone has seen the movie or the play, "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller about the witch hangings in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 17th Century, you might recall that there were several Goodmans and Goodys in those productions.

Obviously, someone got it wrong about "Goody"Gregory and turned the Goody into a surname.

On page 37 of "Ancestors and Descendants of Henry Gregory" (pub.1938) by Grant Gregory, Henry Gregory 6th great grandson he says: "That Mrs. (Henry) Gregory died between February 15, 1640/41 and January 5, 1641/42 is shown by the granting to Henry on the latter date of 8 rods in breadth of land in the second division of planting ground. It had been decided to give 8 rods to single men and 10 rods to married men. We can only guess from names of descendants that she was an Abigail, Phebe, Elizabeth or Hannah.found on ancestry.com

Henry GregoryFIRST GENERATION

Henry Gregory. He presumably had a brief residence in or near Boston, perhaps in Roxbury, Pynchon's town. ... The earliest record mention I found of him in North America is: "January 16th, 1638. It is ordered that the three rod of grownd yt (that) lyes betwixt John Woodcock's pale (fence) and Goodman Grigorys Lott shall be appropriated 2 rod of it to Goodman Grigory and one rod of it to Rich: Everit reserving 40 rod for a place for a meeting howse wch is to be alowed out of Goodman Grigorys Lott." ... It is probable that Henry went to Springfield (then called Agawam) Massachusetts many months before that -- perhaps in 1636, the year of its settlement, since he seemingly had an original grant of land -- grants of land were made to settlers with the understadning that if they did not remain five years they forfeited their holdings. On March 14, 1642-3 the town decided to buy Henry's land, so his arrival at least as early as March 1637-8 is indicated. ... The frequent early spelling Grigory shows that our ancestors then pronounced their name with a short i sound for the e. ... Henry's homelot contained about five acres, less 40 sq. rods for the church. As did each proprietor, he owned opposite his lot -- across Town St. -- land of the same frontage (10 rods) that ran northeasterly through a hassocky marsh and up a wooded ridge to the present School St. It contained 2 acres of marsh, 4 acres of wood lot. His house was of "attle and daub" or weather boarding (not logs) and was thatched. His chimney was of clay-daubed timber. ...

When the red man was not furnishing excitement for our Puritan ancestors they sought diversion in law suits. Henry was a litigious as the average He often was in court as plaintiff, defendant or juror -- June 16, 1640, over pigs, same day over pumpkins, September 10, 1640 over pigs and hogs, December 1640 for slander, he and wife were witnesses in February 1641, same day Mrs Gregory fined 12s for swearing before God, December 24 1640 sold or pawned canoes. ... That Mrs. Gregory died between February 15, 1640-4 and January 5, 1641-42 is shown by the granting to Henry on the latter date of 8 rods in breadth of land in the second division of planting ground. It had been decided to give 8 rods to single men and 10 rods to married men. We can only guess from names of descendants that she was an Abigail, Phebe, Elizabeth or Hannah. ... Henry decided to move to southern Connecticut apparently to live near or with his son John or his daughters Elizabeth and Anne. .. March 14, 1643 record: "Henry Gregory beinge purposed to sell his lott and ppoundinge it to ye Plantation by his sonne Judah accordinge to order ... the estimation of Goodman Grigoris lot the 3rd of Aprill as follows: 3 acres broaken up - £3, 11 rod fencing at 2s 6d - £1-7-6, 29 rod fencing at 14d - £p;1-14, ye house - £3-00, total - £9-01-6." ... The next four or five years of Henry's life are shrouded in mystery, chiefly because in 1650 the records of Stratford, Ct., were burned. It seems likely that he lived in New Haven Connecticut -- perhaps with his son John -- before moving to Stratford, where he resided in 1647, and till his death. ... Henry, his sons John and Judah, and many descendants for seven generations were makers of shoes -- predecessors of the present shoe manufacturers whose machinery has suceeded the hand. Some of them tanned their own leather. ... 1651 and 1652 in Stratford there were land records for Henry, ones that indicate that Henry had livestock, and perhap was somewhat favored because of his advancing years.

Henry Gregory died probably in 1655, because under date of June 19 that year of the Fairfield Probate Records is "The Court orders that the estate of Henery Gregory shall be distributed as followeth: the debts shall be payd, then the remainder shall be distributed to his children, only the eldest sonn liveing shall have a dubble portion and he the said eldest sonn being John Gregory is apoynted to Administer the estate acording to the above distribution. William Hill, Secretary." Preceding this order on the same page is the inventory of Henry's personal estate, followed by the names of the appraisers -- John Wells and Thomas ffairchild. The writing at the top of the page was obliterated by ink. Following is the decipherable part: 5 Pillowes, all the wooden ware, 3 Chayres and 1 wheel, 1 pair Skales, some pewter ware - (blur) 00-04-, 2 Iron pots, 1 skillit - (blur) 1-02-, 2 axes 1 drawing knife 1 meat knife - 00-04-00, 2 spones - 00-00-08, all the books - 00-04-00, 1 howe 1 pot hanger - 00-03-00, 1 sieth 1 Iron ringe - 00-01-06, 3 pound of rosen 1 baskitt - 00-02-06, 1 maat - 00-01-00, 1 coat - 01-00-00, old pacede (not clear) and agg - 00-05-00, Pease and hopps - 00-08-00, Lasts - 00-01-06. Four shillings is not a heavy investment in books, but there were more than the family Bible.

Children:

1. John (born 1612-1615 Nottinghamshire, died 8/15/1689 Norwalk, Connecticut, married 1635 Sarah St. John, 7 children)